As public anger over the HST mounts, the B.C. Liberals’ excuses for breaking their word are becoming increasingly desperate, the New Democrats said today.

“The fact is, the B.C. Liberals lied about the HST and now they want to lock us into a five-year deal. No amount of preposterous and misleading statements from the B.C. Liberals will change that,” said New Democrat finance critic Bruce Ralston.

Ralston said the B.C. Liberals tried to dress up the HST by telling British Columbians it would somehow pay for health care. No one bought this ludicrous claim, however, and saw it as a feeble attempt to make the tax more palatable to voters who feel betrayed.

“The B.C. Liberals have zero credibility when it comes to the HST. They told voters during the election campaign that this was a bad tax and they weren’t going to bring it in,” said Ralston.

On Tuesday, the B.C. Liberals introduced legislation to bring in the HST, but it would only take seven of them to support their constituents and join with New Democrats to vote down the HST legislation.

Political scientist Dennis Pilon said Tuesday that the B.C. Liberal’s latest claim, that the province would be stuck with a 19-per-cent sales tax if the HST legislation fails, is “just political rhetoric and faulty logic.”

“Voting down the provincial HST-enabling legislation would effectively render the deal with Ottawa null and void by sending a clear message that B.C. is opposed to the HST,” said Ralston. “It’s ridiculous that the B.C. Liberals are now trying to duck responsibility for the HST. It takes two to tango.”

According to the Canada-B.C. Comprehensive Integrated Tax Co-ordination Agreement, the HST will be implemented “subject to the requisite legislative approvals.”

“If the B.C. Liberals refuse to back down and bring in the HST on July 1, they will lock British Columbians into a five-year deal. That’s why we are doing everything we can to stop this tax now,” said Ralston.

“British Columbians are looking to their elected representatives to stand up against this $1.9 billion tax shift onto consumers and small business,” said Ralston.

For more information on Carole James and the New Democrats’ campaign to fight the HST, visit www.StoptheHST.ca